Radius-rod.



if. E. HARPST.

RADIUS RGD.

Ammonium FILED OCT. 31

patented June 19, 1917.

mmm

2 ylull 41453.54.

, W FMX -kim 4F. E. HARPST..

RADIUSROD. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31,1916.

Patented June 19, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Uirn s'r FREDERICK E. HARPST, 0F 4LUFKINs TEXAS.

RADIUS-ROD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 191'?.

Application filed October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,717.

To all w71 om it 91 my concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. HAnrsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lufkin, in the county of Angelina and State Vof Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Radius-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in radius rods and has more particular relation to an improvement in that type of radius rods which are designed to brace and hold the front axle in alinement and which as at present constructed are anchored to the crank case.

The object of the invention is to provide a radius rod -which will hold more effectively the front axle in alinement for `steering purposes, yet without danger of breale age or damage Vto the crank case, motor and connecting parts, so often caused by impact from thev front axle being transmitted` through the form of rod now in common use connectedl to the crank ease.

Another feature of the invention .resides vin an anchorage secured tothe vehicle frame ation and arrangementof parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the radius rod as applied to an automobile. A

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof shown detached.

Figs. 3 and 4 shea7 fragmentary views as viewed from the front and rear respectively.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of the resilient connection of the radiusl rod with its anchor.

Figs. 6 and 7 showtu front elevation and a transverse sectional view respectively of the front axle of an automobile showing the mehod of securing the radius rod thereto, an

Fig. 8 shows a front end view of the upper member of the radius rod. g

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 refers to the front axle of the car and the numerals 2, 2 refer to the side `other desirable means.

members of the frame thereof. The radius rod is formed of two upper and two lower members 3, 8 and 4, 4:, respectively whose forward ends are secured to the front axle and which converge rearwardly and extend back beyond the motor and are secured to the cross head 5 by bolts or rivets or any In Fig. 1 the members 3 and et are shown pivoted to the cross head, while in Fig. 5 they are shown rigidly connected thereto. pivoted to the cross head, they form a nonrigid, truss and should one of the front wheels come in contact with an object, fit will cause a rearward thrust against the corresponding arm of the truss and will operate through the cross head to cause a forward thrust to be transmitted to the other side of the truss and there will thus Abe nio liability of breaking the truss loose from an axle. rlChe cross head 5 has a rearwardly extending stud 6, -which may be pivoted thereto, as shown in Fig. 1, or rigidly'secured thereto as shown in Fig. 5 and provided with a disk like bearing 7 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The numeral 8 refers to a hanger having the arms 9, 9, whose upper ends are riveted or otherwise secured` to the side members of the frame, the lower u t end of the hanger being formed into a bearing- 10 threaded'tlnough which is the guide 11 through which the stud 6 slides, the outer end of the stud being threaded to receive a securing nut as 12. rinterposed between the bearings 7 and 10 is a coil spring 13l which receives the ordinary'shock sustained by the front axle in use and Within said coil spring 13 and closely surrounding the stud 6 is a stronger coil spring 14 one end of which rests against the bearing 7 and the otherend of which is normally free. but which in case of unusual stress against the front axle receives the inner endA of the guide 11 thus reinforcing the outer spring 13. The numerals 15, 15, refer to tie bars attached at their ends to the hanger 8 and to .the corresponding side members of the car, respectively, said tie bars sustaining the principal part of the shock to the hanger and transmitting the same tothe side members of the frame. The forward end of. each member 3 is reduced, forming an annular shoulder as at 3 said reduced end having a removable collar 16 fitted thereon and normally resting against said shoulder. Said In case these rods are.`

reduced end extends through the bearing 17 of the spring perch 18 and is secured therein by means of the nut 19 threaded on to the outer end thereof. The forward `end of the s lowermember 4, of the radius rod is fiattened as at 21') said flattened end having an orifice 21 toy receive the lower end .of the bolt 22, of the spring perch, which extends through avertical bearing in the front axle 1g and the lower end of which receives the nut 23 which is threaded thereon and clamps the said end between said nut and the lower side of the axle. It is obvious that the collar '16 may be varied in thickness. In ordinary ,15 use it will be made of such thickness as to bring the front axle in vertical alinement `so that the spindle bearing 24 will be in vertical position .and so receive the load.` In some cases, however, it has been found del 2g sirable in actual use to give the frontaxle and the spindle bearing a slight inclination or tilt which may be done by lmaking. the collar 16 thinner than usual and tightening up the nut 19. This will give a caster effect 25 to-the spindle bearing and have a tendency tg cause the gudexwheels to rightthemselves in case they strikefztn obstruction thus causin the machine to' better keep the road. y .Ehe stud 6 is in direct alinement with the center of the front axle andi owing to the truss formationof the rod and the hanger supports, an);7 force or shock received by the axle 1 will be transmitted in a direct line with the stud 6 and received first by the spring 13 and in case of great shock will bev sustained also by the spring 14, the latter spring reinforcing the former in cases of necessity.

In case the radius rod is connected to the 440 engine case as now in common use when' obstructions are encountered by the steering wheels the shock is transmitted through the front axle to said radius rodi and its anchorage often either-.bending said rod or tearing loose the hangers by means of which it is connected to the engine case and in case of sudden impact of the steering wheels or front axle against a body of high inertia the engine case is liable to be torn loose from 50 the frame or caved in at the point where the y rod is fastened thereto, causing in]ury to the motor and other connecting parts of the vehicle and the connection of the radius rod as at present-,used with the motor case belngI rigid, the shock is transmitted to the entire vehicle and the occupants thereof.'

Furthermore the rigidity causes great stress on the tires and bearings causing wear and stress upon the same as well as upon con- 00 necting parts. My improved form of radius rod being resiliently connected to an independent hanger relieves the motor case of all liability to injury from the shocks received by Lthe front wheels and the connection lte s id hanger being resilient, said shocks are in a great measure, if not entirely, absorbed by said resilient connection thus absorbing the shock received by the front wheels and axle and preventing the transmission thereof to the frame of the vehicle and to the passengers and lessening the liability of breakage of any of the connecting parts.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A device of the character described including two upper and two lower members secured at their forward ends to the front axle of the vehicle, said members converging and their rear ends being secured together formino' a truss the lower members being'ixed relative to the front axle and the upper members being adjustable relative thereto, a hanger secured to the vehicle frame and a yieldable connection between the rear ends of said members and said hanger.

2. A device of the character described including a truss structure composed of two upper and two lower members connected at their forward ends'to the front axle of a 90 vehicle and their rear ends converging and being secured to a cross head, means for adjusting the forward ends of the upper members relative to the axle,.a hanger having a bearing, a bearing member secured to vthe cross head and operating through said bearing and a yieldable member interposed between said cross head and bearing.

3. A radius rod com osed of side members attached at their fbrward ends to the 109 front axle of a vehicle and their rear ends converging -and being secured together, a bearing secured to and depending from the vehicle frame, a bearing member secured to. the rear ends of the said side members and operating through saidbearing and a plurality of yieldable members of unequal resistance interposed between said radius rod and said bearing.

4; A device of thecharacter described in- 110 cluding a truss composed of two upper and two lower members connected at their forward ends to the front axle of the vehicle and their rear ends converging and being pivoted to a cross head, a hanger having a bearing, a bearing memberpivoted to the cross head and operating through said bearing, and a yieldable member interposed between said cross head and bearing.

5. A device of the character described in- 12o cluding a truss whose arms are connected at their free ends tothe front axle of the vehicle, a central hanger depending from the vehicle and having a bearing, a bearing member secured to said truss and operating through said bearing and a yieldable member interposed between said truss and bearlng.

.6. A radius rod com osed of side members attached at their orward endsto the 1'10 front axle oi the vehicle and having their rear ends joined together, forming u truss. :L central bearing secured to and depending from the veheh- .'rame, a bearing member secured to the truss and operating through Said bearing, and :L yeldable connection between said truss and bearing.

In testimony whereof have signed my..

mum m this specification n the presence of two su i serbng Witnesses.

FREDERCK E. HARPST. Wi messes I". A. LIDDELL, FmRENCE JOHNSTON. 

